Wheel-tread.



L. C. ERBBS.

WHEEL TREAD.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 31, 1911.

1,038,103, Patented Sept. 10, 1912.

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Application tiled August 2, 1911. Serial No. 547,036. f

To all'whom if may concern:

Be itknown that l, Louis C, Eustis, a citi-l zen of theUntedStates,residing at St.l Paul, in the county of Ramsey and of Minnesota, .haveinvented certain new 4'and useful Improvements in Wheel-Treads; and l dohereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact descriptionof the iuvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same. My invention has for its objectto provide an improved wheel tread, and to such ends, generally stated,the invention consists of the 'novel devices and combinations of deviceshereinafter described and dened in the claim.

In vthe accompanying vdrawings which illustrate the invention, likecharacters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to-the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation showing thewheel provided with tread plates in accordance with my invention, someparts being removed; Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse section taken onthe line m2 m2 of Fig. l; and F ig. 3 is a bottom plan view showing oneof the tread plates and a portion of the wheel rim, some parts beingbroken away.

So far as my invention is concerned, the wheel may be of any suitableconstruction, and it may be either a traction wheel, or a wheel of anyother type. As shown, it coniprises a hub portion l, spokes 2, and a rim3, which latter is in the forml of a smooth wide-faced band. The treadplates are 1intermediately pivoted to the outer face of the wheel rim 3and their endsl are arranged to overlap, so that they afford acontinuo-us or complete sectional tread.. The said tread plates may beconstructed in various ways, and while in some instances, they may becast, they are, nevertheless, usually and preferably stamped from steelplates. These tread plates, as preferably constructed, are indicated bythe numeral et, and at their intermediate portions, they are providedwith laterally spaced hinge lugs 5 that are pivotallyconnectedto similarhinge lugs 6 onl the wheel rim, by means of heavy hinge pine or bolts 7At their ends, the tread plates are formed with longitudinally curved,transversely extended end portions 8 and 9. The curved portions 8, atone end of the tread plates, are made with slightly greater the wheel;

curve than the curved portion 9 at the other end of said plates, so thatthe said curved sections of adjacent tread plates will overlap and takeup, arating movement. which. takes .-place.be tween the ends of themoved pivotally. To illustrate, it will be eXtreme lower portion of thewheel rim, the

c-r compensate for the sep plateswhen they are f engaged curved portions8 and 9 are overlapped to the limit, While on opposite sides of thisjoint, the said overlapped sections 8 v and 9 are nearly, but not quite,separated.,` Under movements o-f the tread plates, the

engaging curved sections 8 and 9 have a sort of circularll. slidingaction, one upon the other.I The arc of the curved plates, will dependlargely on the size of Tread plates will usually be made much wider thanthe face of the wheel rim, so that a very wide base of supportfor thewheel is provided.

The tread plates, when stamped of steel or sheet metal, are preferablyreinforced and stiffened by downwardly pressed cor rugations 10,preferably in rectangular arrangement, so that they will run both tra-neversely and circumferentially of the wheel. These corrugations alsoincrease the tractive power of a Vtraction wheel, when used in thisconnection. When the wheel is rotated the tread plates are, of course,brought in succession, or serially, into contact with the lground, andthey have this important advantage over au oi dinary wheel rim, thatthey are brought latwise against the ground, and hence, do not have theforwardly crowding action which is produced by an ordinary wheellworking in soft ground.v A wheel of this character of tread is,therefore, extremely well adapted for use on soft ground. and on sandyroads. It will, for instance, be found portions 8 and 9, and the lengthof the bar of the tread very serviceable' for use on wagons or other`Avehicles which must travel over desert land.

When the improved tread is used on agri cultural machinery, it will runover soft ground without packing the 'ground to such an extent thatcrops will not grow where the wheel has traveled. The improved tread Yis also well adapted for use. on a soft pack-v ing wheel or roller whereit i's desirable that the ground simplyvbe packed uniformly by adownward pressure.

may be applied on Wheels of various differentlinds of vehicles, Whetherself propelled or Whether drawn by horses, or other power.

' What I claim is:

The combination With a Wheel, of an endless series of tread platesintermediately pivoted to the Wheel rim and provided at their oppositeends with transversely curved sections, the are of the one curved endbeing' larger than the arc of the other Curved end, and the curved endshaving 'the smaller are As already indicated, the improvedtread l beingalways overlapped Awith adjacentl curved ends having the larger are.,said overlapped ends having a rocking action, 15 oneY with the other,when the said tread plates move, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I alix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

LOUIS C. ERBES.

Witnesses BERNICI; G. VHEELER, HARRY. D. KiLGomz.

